a bleeding purple utah jazz blog

I’m all ears when Karl Malone got something to say

**[What would you bring to the table as a coach?]Karl: They have one of the most unbelievable, dedicated strength and conditioning coach in Mark McKown with the Jazz. Mark McKown shouldn’t have to fight players to come train. So one of the first things I’d do is say, “OK guys, here are the rules. This is how we do things. Mark McKown will not be visiting you in the summertime to train. You’ll be visiting him.” …

When you’re in condition to play, everything’s better. Playing through injuries: It’s a difference in playing hurt and playing injured. All of us play injured. That’s just the way it is. But you got to have a dedication to your profession. You gotta respect your profession enough to say, “OK, we got 20,000 people in here. 18,000 of these people are everyday, 9-to-5 people. That’s the least we can do, is play for them.” That’s what I try to bring to the table. And that’s what I will bring to the table, cuz if I try, I’m not doing it.

**[If they brought you in to be a coach, would you look at bringing in Greg Ostertag alongside as maybe one of your assistants?]Not no, but HELL no. (laughs)

**On Big Al: The young man from Mississippi that I got to spend a little time with: I absolutely love him. I went to practice one day and said two or three words to him, and this kid went out and did it.

I will say this to you. If the Jazz really need Karl Malone to be around and be involved, they know how to get in touch with me, and I will. And here’s what I tell them: It cost you nothing. Let’s see if it works. If it works, then we’ll talk about it. If it don’t work, it’s no skin off anybody back and we just go on from there.

THIRD-PERSON REFERENCE! THIRD-PERSON REFERENCE!

**[A lot of people describe Blake Griffn as a combination of you and Charles. Does that work for you?]I don’t see Charles in Blake. He don’t have a gut. He don’t have bald head. And he got a lot of muscles. This guy really gotta be me, it’s not Charles. … If Charles listen to this, I will beat him to death if he ever say “he remind [me] of me.”

(For the record, Karl and Charles are really good friends.)

**Message to Jazz fans: Give it a little time. Let the guys mesh together, and give us a little bit more time. Maybe I try to be a little more involved with the Jazz organization and we’ll get this thing turned around and you’ll be very proud. And we will not stop working until we do, cuz we owe that to them.

Love that even though he’s not technically part of the organization, Karl says “we” when he talks about the franchise.

I think it would be negligence on the part of the Jazz if they don’t call Karl and get him in on at least a part-time basis. There is SO MUCH that Al, Favors, Fes, and even Millsap could learn from him. SO MUCH. Favors is only 19. It’s easier to break er…I mean teach them when they’re young.

Instill Karl’s work ethic in them while they’re still young and before they have too many bad habits. I could almost cry when I think of how much Al would benefit. He wants to learn and he’s willing to work. He didn’t get his time with Jerry. Give him the chance to not only learn from the best, but learn from someone who knows the system inside-out and thrived in it.

Furthermore, if after working with Karl, Fes one day goes up for a dunk with his other hand behind his head, I could die happy. I would rank that right up there with “The Shot.”

Karl also talked about how he’d love the chance to work with Randy Rigby and KOC to learn about how teams are built…

…His comments make me dead certain that the Jazz will never reach out to him in a management/full-time coach capacity. Even though he’s saying what we’re all thinking and I agree with much of what he says, the Jazz’s Front Office guys are the kings of talking while saying nothing. They reveal nothing, ever.

Karl Malone as a member of the Jazz Front Office is Kevin O’Connor’s worst nightmare. Karl says whatever’s on his mind. Karl is like LHM in that way. But LHM was the owner and he could say whatever he wanted. No one could stop him or tell him not to. Not the same with Karl. The Front Office would not be able to handle Karl Malone’s revelation bombshells of truthiness.

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I thought the same thing as you when I heard the “we” reference. Awesome! And I really cannot fathom why he has not been asked to work with our big men, at least. We brought Jeff in for shooting, Williams spent some time in the summer with Stock, but no work with Karl for our big guys? Inconceivable…

I have the chills and feel my eyes welling up with tears!! I love Big Al for his heart and his desire to be the best; he NEEDS Karl!! I agree that all of our bigs need some Karl training and work ethic.

It will be a crying shame if the Jazz do not take him up on his offer. Ty could beg. Bring him on, for free, and make him sign a gag order; limit what he can say to the media. He is not stupid, he would do it.

Agree, agree, and agree. Management might be wary about given him an official title, but part-time bigs coach is all we’re asking, right? I get *chills* when I think what he could do with Al and Favors in particular…